Southern hip-hop’s influence continues shaping modern music through strategic sampling, with artists like Future, GloRilla and Sexyy Red drawing from classic Southern tracks. Recently, Juicy J noted ...

The hip-hop world has lost a true pioneer in the game. Legendary rapper Lovebug Starski, whose real name is Kevin Smith, passed away in Las Vegas on Thursday (Feb. 8). According to reports, the rap ...

This week, the musical world lost an icon when composer, arranger and producer David Axelrod died on Sunday (Feb. 5) at the age of 83 from complications of a brain aneurysm. Although not a well-known ...

This article has been handpicked from the Okayplayer editorial archives and included in our Hip Hop 50 collection as a noteworthy inclusion to the genre's rich and diverse narrative. The article has ...

Ennio Morricone, the celebrated Italian film composer who died on Monday at the age of 91, could elevate any film with his remarkably bold and expressive scores. Spaghetti westerns, Hollywood dramas, ...

No shortcuts, no gimmicks. Just a rising star from PG County, Md. is ready to make his story known globally. 2 minutes ago In 2001, Just Blaze, the producer of “Song Cry,” made a soul sample. In 2020, ...

Ahmad Jamal, the legendary and inventive pianist, passed away on Sunday at age 92. He was a virtuoso as an instrumentalist and composer, producing songs that lent themselves to genres well beyond jazz ...

Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Nestled deep into the sonic layers of “Redbone” is ‘70s funkadelics staple “I’d Rather be With You ...

There's nothing quite like nostalgia. Just about anything can trigger a memory of your younger years, whether it's a picture, a fire ’fit or, as often happens, a song. Music, especially hip-hop, is ...